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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26116585">Flipped</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/cajuncherrybee/pseuds/cajuncherrybee'>cajuncherrybee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fluff, Pining, Role Reversal, What-If, this is for me but ya'll can read it too</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:36:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,577</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26116585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/cajuncherrybee/pseuds/cajuncherrybee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Naruto is the blushing mess and Hinata is the oblivious one</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>127</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Flipped</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naruto was eleven when he formally announced to all of Konoha that he will be a Hokage. And by formally he meant standing atop Hiruzen's carved head, a bucket of paint on one hand and a brush on the other. </p><p>“I’m gonna be a Hokage! You wait and see, I will be the most powerful of you all!” He shouted, as red paint dripped from his brush.  It’s going to take him several hours to undo the damages. Until sunset at least, and the day had just begun.</p><p>He looked down to see his spectators.</p><p>Iruka-sensei was there, as usual. He needed not to see his face to know of his disappointment.<br/>
Several teachers were there as well. Villagers who happened to be within the vicinity stopped by to check the commotion. He already knew exactly what they were thinking.</p><p>The Third Hokage was there too. His shoulders bounced up and down, echoes of his laughter rang loud amidst the growing commotion of the onlookers. It was as if he didn’t deface his monument moments ago.</p><p>Naruto smirked, proud of himself.<br/>
Two older ninjas materialized on either side of him.<br/>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br/>
A brief game of tag, two begrudging ninjas covered in red paint, and a few fruit stalls knocked down later, Naruto found himself walking behind Iruka sensei along the halls of the academy. Naruto didn’t know how, but he could see the disappointment from his teacher’s back. Every now and then, he could hear him puff, his shoulders raising a tad more as he does so.</p><p>Their journey was quiet, save for the several students murmuring to each other as they passed by. He knew that the silence that stretched between his teacher and him will be filled with an earful later on in his office. Iruka sensei just needed time to gather his thoughts.</p><p>They reached the front door of his office. “Wait here,” said Iruka, his voice stern. “And, don’t go anywhere else. You don’t want any more attention than you have right now. Consider yourself lucky I was the one who found you.” He disappeared behind the door.</p><p>Naruto leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, eyes downcast. He could feel the heat prickling the side of his face as the afternoon sunlight passed through the glass window right next to him. He made no effort to move elsewhere.</p><p> </p><p>“Consider yourself lucky I was the one who found you! My ass! Hmph!” He said to himself, mocking Iruka. </p><p>He could only keep his head down for a while before he started to feel the strain on his neck. He massaged his nape and rotated his head from side to side for relief. Accidentally, he caught a glimpse of his reflection on the glass window. </p><p>His hair was all over the place. His face was covered with pecks of red paint, dust, and sweat. A bruise was starting to form just below his lips. He might have seen a tiny twig protruding just behind his ear. </p><p>He looked down once again, getting bored by the minute. He didn’t notice the student that arrived in front of the office’s door.</p><p>“Naruto-kun?” </p><p>His heart skipped a beat. He knew who it was. </p><p>“Are you okay?” she asked. Concern and curiosity were obvious from her voice, though small.</p><p>“Did you get in a fight?” He flinched at her question. He knew of the reputation he has, but still.</p><p>He could hear her moving closer towards him as she tried to see his face. Naruto raised his head and their eyes met. </p><p>He gulped. </p><p>“Ah, no,” he answered, trying to form a smile. He suddenly became nervous. Heat started to form at the base of his neck down his spine.  It was from the sunlight, he supposed. His stomach also did this thing where he does not know whether or not he needs to go to the bathroom. He took care of that this morning. There should not be any reason for his stomach to be doing that.</p><p>“Oh, what happened then?” she asked, again.</p><p>“I just…” His voice trailed off, unsure of how to answer her. Images of what transpired this morning flashed through his mind. Suddenly, what seemed to be the source of his pride hours ago felt stupid. Horribly stupid. </p><p>“I just...just…” his voice tapered off as he answered not knowing how to fill in the blank. </p><p>A common occurrence, he realized one afternoon as he slurped his ramen at Ichiraku’s, along with the nervousness, stomachache, loss for words and well...  Somehow, they only occur when she’s around.</p><p>“I just...just...got into an accident is all!” he answered with as much exuberance that he can manage. This seemed to ease her worries, as her knitted brow relaxed.</p><p>It feels nice that she cares.</p><p>Naruto straightened his posture and ran his hand through his hair to ease his jitters. His hand caught something - the twig that protruded just behind his ear. </p><p>He just about died at that moment. </p><p>He hurriedly put the damned twig inside his pocket. Her eyes followed the movement of his arms. </p><p>Suddenly, he became aware of what he looked like: messy, sweaty, and red, not so much from paint as it was from embarrassment. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you here for Iruka sensei?” he asked, changing the topic.</p><p>“Ahh yes!” She looked at the stack of papers she was holding. “I was supposed to give him these this morning, but he wasn’t at his office.”</p><p>“Are those the homework from last week?”</p><p>“Yes. Did you do yours?</p><p>Of course he did. It gave him the reason to come up to her desk.</p><p>He simply nodded in response. </p><p>She turned towards the door, then she looked down at the papers she was holding. </p><p>“I can knock for you if you want.” He offered, realizing her predicament.</p><p>“Oh, thank you.” She moved aside a little bit to make room for him. </p><p>Naruto moved to where she was a while ago, aware that he was a lot closer to her. He raised his hand, about to knock at the door when --</p><p>“Is that a bruise on your face?” she asked slightly mortified, her face mere inches from his. </p><p>“Oh no! It is! Please hold these for a while.” She gave him the stack of papers and hurriedly looked for something in her backpack.<br/>
She held a circular small glass container. She opened it and dipped her index finger gathering a small portion of what was inside. She reached out to him and dabbed the ointment under his lip ever so lightly.</p><p>He froze at her touch. It was like the first dip of his toes in the cool waters of his tub in warm summer. It was like the first taste of the hot ramen soup on a cold rainy night. Jarring at first, but the warm gentleness soon took over. </p><p>It made him lightheaded, but in a good way. All his efforts to regain his composure were thrown out of the window. And quite violently at that.</p><p>“I use this a lot after my training. The smell may not seem pleasant, but it’s really good at easing your bruises” she explained, oblivious of his inner turmoil.</p><p>He looked at her, his mind both distant and aware. He felt a wave of electricity travel down from the base of his neck towards his arms and down to his legs.</p><p>She dabbed more ointment onto his bruise once again. “Here” she said. “Just to be sure.”</p><p>His mouth went dry. His heart racing, his skin tingling.</p><p>This is it. He thought. There is no other way. </p><p>He endured the scorn of his village manifested in words or otherwise. He had seen it all. </p><p>He didn’t expect, however, that a weird-smelling ointment to be the cause of his demise.</p><p>“It should be better, if not tonight, by tomorrow morning.” He continued to stare at her.</p><p>“Naruto?” </p><p>Before he could answer, the door beside them opened. Iruka sensei towered over both of them. </p><p>“Hinata, I’m sorry I wasn’t here this morning. Something urgent came up this morning”</p><p>Iruka’s emphasis on the word "urgent" pulled him out of his reverie. </p><p>“Oh it’s okay, sensei. I have them with me right now. I mean, Naruto has them” she looked at him.</p><p>Naruto turned to his teacher sheepishly. “Uhmm, yeah”</p><p>His eyebrow furrowed in confusion. “Good. Since you have them already, put them on my desk. You already know where to go.” He stood aside to make room for Naruto.<br/>
Naruto entered the familiar room and made his way. He heard the door shut behind him. He remembered he had not thanked her yet. He turned around and was met with Iruka walking towards him.</p><p>“Keep going. We have a lot to talk about” </p><p>Naruto obliged. This was not the first time he will get reprimanded and certainly won’t be the last. Some days, he gets a quick lecture in some corner. Other days, Iruka reserves a time for him in his office.</p><p>Naruto placed the stack of papers on Iruka’s desk. He stood aside and faced his teacher as he had done so several times. Iruka started his litany: something about discipline, respect, and blah blah blah.</p><p>He felt his heart still pounding, though it had considerably mellowed down from moments ago.<br/>
He raised his finger to where his bruise was. It was damp and sticky and it produced a dull ache when touched.</p><p>He liked it.<br/>
He liked it a lot.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is my very first fic. Yay!!!<br/>I'm still undecided whether or not I should make this multi-chaptered.</p><p>EDIT: Talk to me on tumblr!! @cajuncherrybee</p></blockquote></div></div>
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